Tag Archives: tourism

According to the Jeddah Communique a joint statement between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was shared after the visit of US President Joseph R. Biden conducted an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. It states that following the meeting with King Salman, President Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held an official meeting, attended by senior officials from both sides. The two sides reviewed in detail the many shared priorities that contribute to the partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. At the end of this meeting, the two sides issued this communique outlining the strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States over the coming decades with the aim of advancing their mutual interests and advancing a common vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East. The two sides noted the historic ties between the peoples of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Stated. They welcomed, in this regard, extending the validity of business and tourism visas to 10 years to facilitate closer people-to-people ties and economic cooperation. The U.S. side commended the Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative, and welcomed Saudi Arabia’s participation at the recent Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, joining of the Global Methane Pledge, its status as a founding member of the Net-Zero Producers Forum, and the Kingdom’s announcement to meet fifty percent of its electricity generation from renewables by 2030. The two sides welcomed the finalization of a Partnership Framework for Advancing …

As part of its mandate to promote tourism as a rewarding career option for Emiratis and UAE-based professionals, and to develop those already working in the private sector, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has unveiled a revamped calendar of training programmes and Emiratisation initiatives for the second half of 2022. The new programme calendar aims to increase the growth and development of the Emirati and UAE-based workforce, encourage enrolment in training and job opportunities, and develop the knowledge and skills of existing tourism and hospitality workers in the private sector. Created by DCT Abu Dhabi’s Emiratisation and Capability Development Section, the initiatives will generate greater Emirati and general participation in Abu Dhabi’s tourism activities. It will highlight employment opportunities in the sector by detailing a clear qualifications and skills development pathway for participants. His Excellency Saleh Mohammed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “We have an outstanding Emirati and international talent pool in Abu Dhabi, with the necessary skills and aptitudes to succeed in the emirate’s exciting and rapidly growing tourism sector. Through this revamped Emiratisation and sector-wide training programme, we can maximise the potential of our UAE workforce, fulfil our strategic goal to create a thriving and diverse tourism eco-system, while also building bridges between cultures by allowing visitors to meet and interact with both Emiratis and a range of other nationalities across our tourism assets.” Fatima Al Melhi, Section Head of Emiratisation and Human Capital Development at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “We are proud to announce the new calendar, which includes training programmes and initiatives to support the highly talented Emirati and expat workforce we have …

Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) and South Al Sharqiyah Governor’s Office signed a pact to develop several tourism projects in the governorate. The signing aligns with OMRAN Group’s endeavors to work in harmony with various stakeholders in order to stimulate the growth of the Sultanate’s tourism sector. The pact was signed by H.E. Yahya bin Badr Al Mawali, Governor of South Al Sharqiyah and Eng. Mohammed bin Salim Al Busaidi, Chairman of OMRAN Group, in presence of several officials from both parties. Under the pact, OMRAN Group will undertake technical support as well as supervise the execution operations of the multi-phased projects being developed in several Governorate’s destinations, where phase one will see a park development in Al Suwaih with a total area exceeds 65,000 square meters, as well as the development of another park in Al-Ashkharah extending over a total area of roughly 14,000 square meters. The two parks will provide a variety of tourism and entertainment facilities, including dining areas, retail outlets, kids’ playgrounds, and Campgrounds. On this occasion, H.E Dr. Yahya bin Badr Al Mawali, Governor of South Sharqiyah said, “The governorate draws plenty of local and inbound tourists owing to its rich and diverse destinations, which we seek to exploit, jointly with various stakeholders, to further stimulate the governorate’s tourism”. “Our collaboration with OMRAN Group aims at upgrading tourism services and products within those destinations, which in turn will open prospects and promising opportunities for local businesses and SMEs in the governorate”. Al Mawali added. Meanwhile, Eng. Mohammed bin Salim Al Busaidi, Chairman of OMRAN Group said, “This signing comes within the framework of the existing collaboration between OMRAN Group and South Sharqiyah Governor’s Office …

OYO Hotels & Homes welcomed over 100,000 guests from 78 countries across 14 properties and 20 homes in the UAE, since its launch in April last year. With this lease and full inventory control model, OYO currently manages 1,300 rooms within these properties in Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah and is set to touch 12,000 rooms by 2020. Since the first 9 months of its launch, the hotel chain has received guests from within the UAE, which accounted for 45.73 per cent of their guests and the remaining from countries such as India, Oman, Saudi Arabia, France, Russia, United States, Australia, Italy, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mauritius and United Kingdom, among several other counties. OYO aims to grow its market share through its ‘Manchise’ business model — a unique business model that combines the best of management contract and franchise agreement. Through this model, OYO aims to grow its footprint within the two-, three- and four-star hotels in the UAE.  With nearly 15.8 million overnight visitors in 2017, Dubai retained its ranking as the fourth most visited city in the world for the fourth year in a row, according to Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index. Dubai was ahead of Singapore, followed by New York, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Istanbul, and Seoul. Manu Midha, Regional Head — Middle East, OYO Hotels & Homes, said, “OYO has now grown to become a preferred choice for several nationalities across the globe due to its ideal location, quality and also the price point. At the moment, we have touched around 78 countries and we are going to take this number higher due to the upcoming EXPO 2020. With 190 nations already signed up, we are confident that our …

Golden Sands Hotel Apartments was declared the Best Family Hotel Apartments at the 2nd annual Arabian Travel Awards. Mirna Tenidis, Director of Marketing of Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, received the award. Last year, the Golden Sands Hotel Apartments was recognised as the Best Brand Hotel Apartment. Mohammed Khoori, General Manager, Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, said, “The Arabian Travel Awards is one of the much-awaited awards in the industry. We are grateful to be recognised as this year’s recipient of the Best Family Hotel Apartments. This is a meaningful award because it reflects who we truly are. Our facilities cater to big and small families and our location is convenient for both young and adult guests. I want to share this award with the team who are relentlessly providing the best service to our valued guests.” Organised by Durga Das Publications, the 2nd Arabian Travel Awards recognised and honoured the best in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries in the Middle East. This year, more than 50,000 votes were submitted from over 25 countries, with nearly 60 awards to recognise at the exclusive event attended by VIPs, dignitaries, travel, tourism and hospitality professionals. During the awards ceremony, a beautifully designed Collector’s Edition Book was also unveiled that showcases the beauty and culture of the Middle East.

Golden Sands Hotel Apartments is looking forward to an increased share of travellers from Russia after a successful roadshow in St Petersburg and Moscow. The team of Golden Sands Hotel Apartments joined the 2018 Dubai Tourism Russia Roadshow held from September 3 to 6, where they received great interest from travel agents and tour operators who were interested to learn about the services offered by mid-scale and budget hotels, including hotel-serviced apartments. “The Russian market is an emerging market for Golden Sands Hotel Apartments. The trip to two major cities in Russia opened a huge opportunity for the property. We received a huge number of enquiries and interests from the travellers from Russia who are looking for more affordable deals and value-based option. Dubai has traditionally been a popular tourist destination among Russians and majority prefers the beachfront properties when staying in Dubai but we saw a new segment of visitors who are willing to stay in city hotels that offer shuttle buses to take them to the beach and other popular attractions in the city,” the team said. Visitor numbers from Russia visiting Dubai have continued to rise, delivering 405,000 visitors for the first half of 2018, a growth of 74 per cent over the same period in 2017, according to figures released by DTCM. Mohammed Khoori, General Manager, Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, said, “We hope to get a share of the market, especially the Russian travellers. Based on the feedback received from our participation in the Russia roadshow, we look forward to reaping the results of our hard work this coming tourism season.”

With just a few days left, the Arabian Travel Awards is all set to recognise the efforts of the travel, tourism and hospitality professionals. The black-tie award show will be conducted in Dubai on September 20, 2018. An exclusive invitation-only event, it will involve some of the most prominent personalities from the region. The Chief Guest for the event will be HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority. Owing to the dedication and commitment of professionals working not only in the emirates, but also in the Middle East that has revolutionised the travel industry, United Arab Emirates has become a hub for travel, tourism and hospitality. The Arabian Travel Awards is a platform for the Middle East market to appreciate the efforts of the travel specialists who have contributed to the booming travel and hospitality industry. The Awards aim to encourage them to continue promoting tourism in the region, especially since all roads are set and ready for the Expo 2020 and beyond. Following a systematic method of internet-based voting, these Awards are fair and unbiased and are supported by TravelTV.news, TravTalk Middle East and TravTalk India – premier media partners for extensive coverage. The awards will be divided into four categories: Personal Awards, Business Awards, Trending Awards and Partner Awards. To name a few, these include awards for Best Business Hotel, Best Family-Friendly Hotel, Best City Hotel, Best Green Hotel, Best Leisure Hotel, Best Destination Management Company, Best Hotel Apartments, Best B2B Travel Portal and Best Luxury Hotel, among many others.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is embarking on a three-city roadshow to India to help promote the emirate and encourage more Indian visitors to explore and discover Abu Dhabi. The delegation, including the UAE’s national carrier Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, Yas Experiences, Dusit Thani, Royal Arabian, Air Travel Enterprise, Sofitel and Rotana, will be in India from 17th – 21st September, 2018. The roadshow will commence in New Delhi in northern India before moving on to Chennai and ending in Bengaluru. Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director Promotions and Overseas Offices, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “India is a vital tier-one source market for us, providing us more hotel guests each year. In 2017, we recorded spectacular double-digit growth from India and we are already recording further progress from the Indian market since the turn of the year. We are now running a series of roadshows to cities across the country, highlighting the emirate and its attractions. We have excellent air connectivity, with 278 flights a week to Abu Dhabi from 12 Indian destinations.” Bejan Dinshaw, Country Manager India, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “Our persistent efforts have managed to reinforce India as one of the leading overseas source markets for Abu Dhabi. Our YoY performance has witnessed stupendous growth and this has been possible because of the impressive work done by our trade partners. These roadshows have helped our stakeholders to connect with the regional trade partners, further boosting tourism to the Emirate.” India is currently the second-largest overseas market for Abu Dhabi after China. Last year saw more than 360,000 Indians staying in Abu Dhabi’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments, an increase of more than …

The World Travel Market (WTM) London, a much awaited travel event of the year, brought together the travel fraternity from all over the globe. Key exhibitors from the region this year include Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority, Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Ajman Tourism Development Department, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Oman Ministry of Tourism and Jordan Tourism Board. This year’s event will give ample opportunities to a range of new travel experiences and disruptive travel services as well. It will introduce some of the key components that industry specialists need to adapt so as to work towards enhancing the experiences of the many new-age travellers and millennials. More than 80 conference seminars will take place throughout the three days covering all the key sectors pertinent to the Middle East, including aviation, hotels, wedding and honeymoon, gastronomy, sports tourism, responsible tourism, digital influencers, social media and travel technology. Among other highlights is the 300-seater WTM Inspire Theatre, a taste of ILTM joined by a new Wellness & Spa section on the exhibition floor, WTM Speed Networking, and the UNWTO and WTM Ministers’ Summit.

The Elaf Group of Companies, a SEDCO Holding Group company and a leading provider of travel, tourism and hospitality services, has announced the opening of its latest five-star hotel in Jeddah. The latest addition to Elaf Group’s growing portfolio of hotels is part of its recent implementation of a strategic expansion initiative, aimed at further reinforcing its leading presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s booming tourism and hospitality segment — in line with the goals and objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to support the national economy and to promote tourism, particularly tourism for religious purposes, as a key contributor in the efforts to achieve a non-oil economy. Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, CEO, Elaf Group, said, “The new hotel is being expected to help address the demand for more hotel rooms in Jeddah, which clearly demonstrates the country’s rapidly thriving tourism industry — ably reflected in its continuous Year-on-Year (YoY) growth. Rest assured, we remain steadfast in our commitment to provide the highest quality of services to offer an unforgettable experience in our hotel and exemplary service to our guests.